Waiting for a Hero
by dragonrider1234
Summary: ModernAU. She was distracted. He was too kind. He didn't matter. And he was too different. Each of them are going meet their hero; however, not all are going to give him the appreciation he deserves. Life can be unfair like that, and no one knows that more than Shiro, who has been burdened and rejected since his return. And yet, that doesn't stop him from doing the right thing.


**AN: Hey there readers, FD here with another oneshot and my first** ** _Voltron: Legendary Defenders_** **fanfic** ** _ever_** **. The story is based on a really good song called "Waiting for Superman" by Daughtry. It's more based on the music video than the song, but both are amazing and I encourage you all to check it out. It's set in a modern/real world AU, and there will be some OOCness.**

 **That being said, I just want to take a moment to dedicate this story to all the unsung, everyday heroes out there, people who go out of their way to do the right thing and help for the sole purpose of helping and being good human beings. Though many are honored and glorified for their actions, there are still those who aren't appreciated for what they do. So this story is for all of those guys and girls, "Thank-you for helping and making the world a better place. And just know that even though it may not seem like it, there will always be those who appreciate what you do."**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Voltron, the music video, the song, they all belong to their respective owners.**

 **So without further ado…**

* * *

 **Waiting for a Hero**

She was distracted.

He was too kind.

He didn't matter.

And he was too different.

Each of them are going meet their hero; however, not all are going to give him the appreciation he deserves.

Life can be unkind like that in many ways. As much as we wish it to be, life's not a fairytale, where the hero always wins and gets all the honor. We like to think that the hero is a big, noble, bright knight of justice and righteousness, a symbol for the best the universe can offer; however, sometimes a hero is just another person, doing the right thing for the right reason. They don't put on fancy costumes, proudly proclaim their victories, flaunt their triumphs, or save the day for the glory. Sometimes the true heroes are those who just want to help. And sometimes...they don't always get the applause or the love they deserve…

* * *

He is a broken soul, drifting in the wind with nowhere else to go. The war had taken everything from him. He is nothing but a homeless veteran…another face in the sea of faces.

His name is Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane.

Years in combat had changed him, like it did any other soldier. He joined to make a difference, to help others and his country, but he left with a meaningless badge, a robotic arm, and scars upon scars to constantly remind him that he isn't whole anymore. He lost his home and his property, and his relationships are in tatters like the clothes on his back.

Looking up to the bright, sunny sky, Shiro sighs and goes back to following the crowd aimlessly. He pulls his flannel sleeves down to cover his prosthetic and tries to make himself unnoticeable, but it's not as if others really care. He's just another homeless man to them…and nothing's special about _him_.

* * *

Katie, or Pidge to her friends, could sum up her feelings at that moment in one word: frustration. Her brother promised that he would pick her up so that they could head to the Science Expo, where she is going to present her latest robot/drone, and there is no way she's going to be late. She worked day and night on this one project for years until it is perfected and ready to be presented.

But here she is, waiting at the curb of the street, and her brother is 30 minutes late. Groaning in annoyance, she takes out her cell and dials her brother's phone number, while also simultaneously balancing her presentation board and robot in her other hand. And, of course, her brother doesn't pick up.

Glaring in frustration at her phone, she does not see a speeding biker coming towards her.

####

Shiro is just strolling down the sidewalk when he notices a frustrated boy? Girl? Young teen in green standing next to a tri-fold board and holding a large bag in one hand and a cell phone in another, practically growling as they glare at their phone. He then notices a biker barreling down the sidewalk towards the distracted kid.

Reacting purely on instinct that only years in the military can perfect, Shiro dashes across the street and pushes the teen back, knocking them to the ground but out of the biker's way. The biker simply plows between the two, not caring for the glare Shiro shoots his way.

"Ugh…oh no!" the teen exclaims as they frantically check the contents of their bag.

"Are…are you…" Shiro stammers out, offering his flesh hand hesitantly to help. However, the smaller teen simply glares at him in outright fury.

"What the hell, man?! What the F**K is wrong with YOU!?"

"I…I…" Shiro stammers, suddenly feeling timid and backing away as the younger teen picks themselves up. They must have not seen the biker.

"Do you know how delicate and expensive this equipment is!? Who do you think you are!? You have no right to go around _shoving_ people you moron!"

Shiro looks down pitifully at the asphalt of the sidewalk, not able to face the angry teen as they continue to shout at him while holding their bag close to their chest. He could not even muster a defense for himself, or say anything…he just stands there and lets the teen's angry rant strike him down.

The teen notices his silence and scoffs, "What?! Aren't you gonna say anything, you f**king bastard?! Get away from me! Before I call the cops!" They stomp their foot to emphasize their point and glare at him.

Shiro winces at their sharp tone and turns to walk away, head down and not even looking back at the grumbling and fuming teen.

* * *

"Here, let me help you," Hunk offers kindly as he puts down his satchel and helps a fallen man up. Hunk was on his way to meet up with his friend, Pidge, at the Science Expo to help her with her presentation, when he saw the man trip and fall, dropping all his stuff on the ground. Hunk, being the ever helpful person that he is, quickly moves in to help.

"Thanks man," the older man says gratefully as he grabs onto Hunk's offered hand, using his other hand to fix his black beanie.

"No prob," Hunk answers good naturedly. However, as soon as the man is on his feet, he rams into Hunk and punches him swiftly in the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of the big teen. As Hunk stumbles back, the older man snickers and swiftly grabs Hunk's satchel.

"Hey! Stop!" Hunk wheezes out painfully as the thief makes a run for it down the sidewalk.

####

Shiro, whose been slowly wandering around still downcast over what happened with the young teen, picks up a weak "Hey! Stop!" and looks up to see a thief running away with a satchel in his hands and a teen in yellow weakly screaming at him and for someone to stop the guy. The big teen is hunched over and gripping his chest, so he couldn't chase after the speeding thief.

Once again, upon instinct, Shiro bursts into an all out run, and he chases after the thief. When he brushes by the hunched over teen, he could see that he is alright and doesn't need his immediate help. Snapping back to attention, Shiro urges himself to run faster. The thief is fast, but in no time, Shiro is able to catch up.

Their chase continues down the sidewalk, and they rush past shocked and curious bystanders as they go. The man in front of him looks back nervously and sees that he's being chased. Shock and fear takes over, and he runs faster, but Shiro wills his legs to move faster as well. The thief suddenly stumbles, thus giving Shiro the chance he needs to grab onto his hoodie and tackle him down to the ground, landing on top to pin the struggling man.

"Hey!" the loud shouts of a policeman fill Shiro's ears as he suddenly feels himself being pulled forcefully off the thief and pinned against a wall of a nearby building. The policeman presses his entire body weight onto Shiro, even though he isn't struggling or resisting, and moves to press both his arms to his back, only momentarily pausing at the sight of the robotic arm. Shiro grinds his teeth and grunts when the policeman once again shoves both his arms painfully behind his back. Meanwhile, he could just make out the policeman's partner pinning the thief on the ground, and the young man, whose bag was stolen, just arriving and heaving to catch his breath from the run.

"You son of a b**ch. Thought you could get away with robbing a defenseless citizen," the policeman that has him pinned snarls into his ear venomously, "You're nothing but a worthless piece of trash. You know that? A piece of garbage."

Shiro winces. Of course he knows. That's all everyone ever say he is when he came home. He couldn't hold a job to support himself or his family, and he couldn't even keep those he loved from leaving. He knows he's worthless. He knows he's nothing. But it still stings to hear those words.

"Varkon wait…hold on sir…" the policeman's partner says halfheartedly as he holds up his hands to calm his partner as well as the hysterical young man. The young man quickly grabs his satchel from the thief's clutches, and holds it firmly to his chest.

Through his hysterics and fear, the big teen pants and points at the thief on the ground, "…that's him…he's the one…he stole my bag…"

The partner holds up his hand to calm the him and turns to Varkon, "Release him…"

Varkon grunts and harshly shoves Shiro away from the wall. "Get out of here…" he sneers hatefully.

Shiro stumbles and quickly rights himself, wordlessly walking away and glancing back over his shoulder at the glaring cop, his occupied partner, the captured thief, and the worried teen. And without another word and a dejected look, Shiro turns around and leaves the scene.

####

Once Hunk notices that the strange older man is leaving, he calms down enough to speak to the two policemen, "Wait…that man…he didn't steal my bag. He…he tried to help…he tried to stop the guy."

Both policemen look at each other and then at the retreating back of the unknown man as he rounds the corner and disappears. Both then grunt and went back to work, cuffing and arresting the thief and ignoring Hunk as he nervously clutches his bag and gazes in the direction the mysterious man went.

* * *

He isn't anybody. He isn't special. What made him think he could be anybody important, that he would matter?

Lance breaks into another fit of sobs and brings his knees to his chest, curling into a tight ball to make himself smaller. He's just plain pathetic. Curled up, sitting on the floor of an abandoned building so that he could be alone and wallow in his own misery. His family doesn't care though. If they did, they would have gone looking for him. They would have called. They would have tried. They would have tried to look at him, and…

Another whimper escapes, and Lance buries his face in his knees. Being a part of a huge family with 6 other siblings who are more successful and talented and 10 cousins who have done more with their lives than he ever could, Lance could not help but feel...unwanted. It's not as if he didn't try. He did. He tried everything to get his family's attention and love but he's just…average.

He isn't extraordinary. He's just another mouth to feed; another person who just happens to share the family name, but has never truly been a part of. Heck, the only times he did garner his family's attention is when he gets into trouble. That's what he is: a troublemaker, who just gets in everyone's way. Everyone probably hates him and has been putting up with his stupid shenanigans all this time for his sake … well … he'll do them a favor then for once.

Wiping away his tears and snot with the back of his favorite brown jacket, Lance looks out the open window towards the sun. His lips tremble and his eyes water, ' _They won't miss me, I'm nothing important to them,'_ he stands up, ' _I'm just a useless waste of space.'_

####

Shiro is once again walking down the sidewalk, rubbing his sore, flesh arm from when the policeman had tried to cuff him earlier. He passes by an old, abandoned building with some impressive sculptures and statues of angels and other mystical creatures. He even spots a few mythical looking lions among the design. It's almost a shame that the rundown building is most likely now home to the homeless like him and illegal drug users.

He then notices a crowd gathered ahead of him, and all are pointing up at the abandoned building. Some even have their phones out and appear to be recording something. Joining the crowd, though no one even paid him any mind, Shiro looks up and sees what has attracted their attention. His eyes widen with shock.

A young man, most likely a teen of Hispanic heritage, is standing precariously on the ledge of an open window near the top floor. His hands are gripping the sides of the window and his eyes are lidded. He appears to be swaying and looking up at the sky. He could be under the influence, but either way, he's going to fall if someone doesn't stop him.

"Someone has to help him," a person in the crowd exclaims worriedly, but no one seems to care as they all just stare in sick wonder at the sight.

Shiro acts fast. He races across the street and into the building. Up the stairs he runs, remembering the number of floors that was between the ground and the teen. Once he arrives at the floor, he sighs with relief. The boy is still there; however, he is leaning ever more over the edge.

Shiro wastes no time than to grab the boy's jacket and pull him back, sending both sprawling onto the ground. The young man snaps out of his daze and shoves Shiro away, scrambling to his feet.

"What's your deal man!?"

Shiro, not taking his eyes off the young man, shakily gets on his feet, and yet no words leave his mouth. Instead, the young man just kept going, "What's wrong with...Why'd you do that?! This is none of your business! You…you…you…"

The young man now has tears in his eyes, but they are filled with utter hatred and fury, "Get out of here! I don't need you! I don't need your help! I never asked for your help! Just leave me alone…!" his voice strains as he squeezes his eyes shut and grits his teeth, trying to hold back his tears.

Shiro backs away. Fixing his shirt and looking back remorsefully, he walks out of the room, leaving the teen to collapse to his knees and sob into his hands. As he heads down the stairs, several policemen climb up and push by him, not even bothering to spare him a second glance.

* * *

"Hey Keith…Aww…are you gonna cry…?" the older boy says mockingly, shoving him down to the ground .

"Yea…are you gonna go cry to your mommy? Oh boo hoo hoo hoo," another pretends to bawl his eyes out.

"Oh wait…you don't have a mommy," another sneers.

They laugh and taunt.

That's all they ever do.

He tried though. He thought that things could be different. But who is he kidding. They'll never accept him. He's just the loner boy…the one with no friends…the one with no social life…the one with no mom.

"Gosh…what. A. Total. Loser," a girl pops each word with a click of her tongue.

"What did you ever see in him?" another girl grimaces as if the very thought is disgusting beyond belief.

"I _honestly_ don't know," the girl scoffs at the thought that she ever liked him.

One of the boys, the leader, kneels down, grips Keith's black shirt at the collar, and pulls him forward so that their faces are merely inches apart. He smirks, "Did you really think that we'd ever accept you, fly-boy? As if we'd let a runt like you join us. You're nothing. And you'll never _be_ anything but a sad little loner boy who doesn't know his place and needs to be taught a lesson." The older boy shoves Keith back, slamming onto the wall behind him. And they laugh again.

"Nice one Rolo," one of the boys thumps the leader on the back before turning back to face their victim. Rolo smirks and backs away to watch as his subordinates take care of the pest.

Keith curls up a bit more and tucks his head into his arms, wishing that they would just leave him alone. But his action only spurs them to burst into laughter and taunt him even more. One even spits on him. They enjoy his pain and sadness. But he lost his will to fight so long ago. Their words ring true, though. He _is_ a loser…he'll never fit in…he's too different.

"Hey mullet boy…thought you wanted to be our _friend_ ," one says before kicking him hard, nearly sending him sprawling.

But Keith just wants to disappear.

####

With hands in his dirty jean pockets, Shiro continues his small walk through the city, letting the cooling, late afternoon air soothe his aching heart and soul. However, the winds also carry a different noise. It's the sound of laughter and loud talking.

He follows the noise until he's at an opening into an alleyway. In front of him is a group of teenagers, boys and girls, all crowding around a huddled boy that is about their age, though smaller…more vulnerable. The young boy's shaking frame is barely visible as the group surrounds him and laughs at his obvious misery, shouting hurtful words and outright tormenting him. Some of the boys are even physically hitting him.

Shiro has seen enough. Charging in without another thought, he grabs the first boy nearest to him and yanks him away, shoving him aside while doing the same to another.

"Hey! What the hell man!" one shouts at him as he regains his footing.

Shiro doesn't say anything, but glares at the teens. The girls had backed away and are slowly creeping out of the alley towards the other end.

Rolo steps forward to stand before Shiro, trying his best to look intimidating. The young teen is taller than Shiro, but lacks his strong built and skills, but that doesn't stop him from facing the older man, "Now who the f**k are you? What my boys and I do is none of your business, so unless you want trouble..." his tone turns dark, and the other guys move to surround Shiro, "...I suggest you leave."

But Shiro doesn't and crouches down, prepared to fight.

Taking the challenge, Rolo nods. The boys try to rush Shiro at the same time in different directions, but they stood no chance against his military training. With quick, but effective, punches and kicks, they were all sent flying to the ground. Grunting, yet staring fearfully at the older man, a final growl from Shiro sends them running, the girls quickly following them, and abandoning their leader. Rolo is now all on his own. But as Shiro advances, the boy backs away fearfully, and he too runs out of the alley.

Meanwhile, the fight had attracted the attention of a curious businesswoman, who witnessed the older man beat up some younger teens and sending them running out of the alley. Her alluring blue eyes widen with worry for the teens and fear, and she quickly calls the police.

Back in the alleyway, Shiro huffs in the direction the group ran and turns to kneel in front of the still huddling young teen, whispering gently, "Hey…are you okay…"

The boy slowly lifts his tear stained face to look at his savior, and Shiro is met with dark purple, pain-filled eyes. He slowly offers his flesh hand, "My name is Shiro. Don't worry, those guys aren't coming back."

The young teen looks around skeptically and quickly wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his red jacket. Shiro maintains his stance and looks at the teen kindly, "What's your name?"

"Keith…" he whispers oh so quietly.

"Hey Keith," Shiro replies, "Come on, let me help you up." Keith looks at the older man's offered hand warily. For a moment, Shiro believes the teen would not take his hand and tell him to leave too. Up close, Shiro could see that the boy is actually bigger than he originally perceived, even when curled up. His wary, yet perceptive, eyes seem to look deep into his soul, and Shiro almost had to look away from his intense stare. His eyes…they're so full of pain and sadness that only years of rejection and bullying can cause.

In a way, they're kinda alike. Both are broken…oppressed by society because they live different lives than the norm…and rejected because they are different. Both have been misunderstood. And people have given up trying to understand.

Well, Shiro isn't going to give up on Keith. He looks back at him with the most comforting look he can and keeps his hand out, waiting for Keith to meet him halfway…and accept his help.

Slowly, carefully, Keith lifts his hand and rests his own smaller one onto Shiro's larger, callous hand. Gripping it gently, Shiro stands up and helps Keith up as well. The younger boy looks away shyly and doesn't say a word. But it's okay, Shiro doesn't mind the silence and he knows.

The two eventually make their way out of the alleyway, and Shiro takes Keith on a small stroll around the city, looking at the tall skyscrapers towering above them and the various stuff sold in stores. Throughout it all, no words were exchanged but none are needed. Keith's hand is still in Shiro's, and Shiro keeps a gentle, yet firm grip. Both have finally found solace in each other's company and offered friendship.

However, the day is drawing to an end and it's time for Keith to head home. The younger boy is scared for a moment about going home, but a reassuring squeeze of the hand from Shiro encourages him to point them where to go.

They eventually arrive to a relatively small, rundown brownstone apartment building. Right as they arrive at the gateway, the front doors slam open, and a frantic man rushes out, just barely pulling on his worn, brown jacket while gripping his phone and keys in each hand. Keith winces and looks away, almost ashamed to face the older man in front of them as he turns around and faces them.

The man's face is a bit rugged with a slight afternoon shadow, ruffled hair, and even a scar on one of his brow, but his eyes, though frantic and worried, are gentle and kind. "Keith!" the man exclaims both in relief and joy as he rushes down the stairs towards the gate.

With tears now streaking down his face, Keith lets go of Shiro's hand and rushes into the man's arms, clinging to him tightly. The older man embraces Keith tenderly while whispering comforting words into his ear. Both are just mumbling over each other, trying to get words in to apologize and/or forgive the other. The older man backs away and grips Keith's face in his hands, his eyes scanning over the younger boy to find any injury. He is relieved that nothing serious has happened. Sighing, the older man pulls Keith into another firm hug, one that Keith wholeheartedly returns.

It's obvious to Shiro that this man is Keith's father. As he watches the tender scene in front of him, he suddenly feels like he's intruding. With a final glance, Shiro turns to leave.

However, as soon as he turns around, police sirens fill his ears, and bright flashes of blue and red lights blind him. A squad car pulls up and out steps three policemen. Sighing in exhaustion, Shiro lifts his both his arms to show he isn't resisting. Well…all good things must come to an end eventually. One policeman grabs both his arms, almost staring in wonder at his prosthetic, and twists them around behind his back, getting ready to cuff him.

As the police arrest Shiro, Keith looks on stunned by the sudden presence of the police. He then snaps out of his reverie by the clinking of the cuffs. Frantically, he turns to his dad, "Wait! Dad, it's all a misunderstanding. He helped me! He didn't hurt me! He saved me …!" Keith pleas with his father, explaining the situation with the group of teens. The older man nods in understanding and rushes to the police group just as they are guiding Shiro into the car.

"Wait! Hold on officers! There's been a misunderstanding," he explains the situation and what has happened to the policemen, who all look at Shiro with bewilderment and disbelief.

One policeman grunts and rubs his face with frustration. Bringing Shiro back onto the sidewalk, he uncuffs him, pats him harshly on the back before shoving him away. "You're free to go," he grumbles, gesturing for him to leave.

Shiro once again stumbles away and fixes his disarrayed shirt. He then turns to look over his shoulders, this time only gazing at Keith who is standing timidly near his dad. With a small nod towards him, Shiro turns around and is about to walk away, when he hears the sound of running footsteps coming at him. Turning around once again, he is met with Keith throwing his arms around his waist and giving him a strong embrace. Stunned by the boy's sudden and unexpected gesture, it only took a moment for Shiro to smile gently and return the hug just as strongly. Again, no words needed to be said for them to know what the other meant.

Pulling away from each other, Keith looks up to Shiro, his eyes now full of happiness and gratitude. His small smile makes Shiro's smile grow even more and for once, his spirit doesn't feel as burdened. Looking at the happy face of the younger teen, Shiro realizes that it was because of him. He finally did something right, and he had never felt so … liberated and … _happy_. With a friendly, parting wave, Shiro turns and walks away.

And a smile, once so rare, can be seen on his scarred face.

* * *

 **AN: And that's it. I have to say, it's not my** ** _best_** **piece (dialogue-wise), but I'm proud of how it turned out. The material that this was based on is a very visual-based type of … art (?), so it was definitely a challenge to get this all down in words. But I love it, and I hope you guys did too!**

 **So some things I wanted to say before signing off…**

 **First off, this is my first story for the VLD fandom, so I apologize greatly for the OOCness in some of the characters. I'm still testing the waters on my writing for this series and I would love to hear your feedback and/or advice for future stories. However, just be aware that certain moments where the characters are OOC is mainly just for plot purposes (I suggest you watch the music video that I suggested at the start to see what I mean).**

 **Secondly, I want to take this moment to announce my next story, which is going to be uploaded before** ** _The Little Russian Soldier_** **. It will take place more in the world of the series, but it's an AU ending to episode 8 of season 2. That being said, I'm not sure when the first chapter will be up, but it will be up eventually. So please check it out, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

 **And thirdly…school is getting more and more hectic and the homework is getting heavier for me. So I want to apologize deeply ahead of time if I don't make my goals/promises.**

 **And that's just about it. Thank-you so much for reading, and please leave review below. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story, and I'll see ya'll next time.**

 **Peace!**

 **~FD**


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